Rural teacher wins high acclaim

Baiyang is one of the most remote villages in Fengxin county. [Photo by Wang Jian/China Daily]

She married Cai in 1982, but a new assignment meant she had to leave him that same year to work at a new school 50 km further in the mountains.

Alone, Zhi devoted her time to her new post and was quickly promoted to headmaster. She taught Chinese, mathematics and arts, brought in teaching equipment from far away and drove around on her motorcycle to promote the school.

At the age of 50, she even taught herself how to use a computer, so that she could download teaching materials to help her students "learn about the outside world".

Her dedication earned her the community's respect. Women in the surrounding villages would cook for her and take turns to keep her company at the school.

The constant pressure and long working hours started to take a toll on Zhi's health, however.

In 2003, she was diagnosed with gallstones and three years later, her untreated high blood pressure began to affect her eyesight. Yet her priority was always her students and each time she was discharged from hospital, she got straight back to work.

Zhi's latest move came in 2012, when she was invited to teach in Baiyang, one of the most remote villages in Fengxin county.

Her family opposed the move, concerned about her health and advancing years, but she won their approval after insisting that she could not abandon the children and "leave them unable to learn".

That summer, Zhi and her husband toiled for months, alongside other workers, to build a brand-new classroom for the school in Baiyang. She still teaches there to this day.

Zhi said she is happiest when she sees her students succeed, though she regrets not having spent more time with her own family over the years, especially her two daughters.

Despite this, she is proud of the work she has done.

"Children in the mountains are my children too," she said. "I am the daughter of the mountains and I will not stop teaching, so long as my health allows."

Guo Xiaojun contributed to this story.